Concentrating device



June s ,1926. 1,588,102

F. D. Goo DY CONCENTRATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1925 Patented J une 8., 1926,

AUNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FOREST D. GOODY, F DENVER, COLOBADQ.

GONCENTRATIN'G DEVICE.

Application mea Janary 19, 1925. serial 1u. 3,400.

pulps or slimes,or 'for treating these valu'-v able metal containing gravels, sands, or mill products without the use of water, that 1s, sluicing and concentrating' them 1n a dry 15 state in my gold saving and concentrating device. Second: To provide a gold and other metal saving device, for the recovery of the gold, silver, platinum, and the black and grey sands from placer ground, and that is arranged to receive the finer particles o the -gravel and of the sand after the coarse rocks and gravel have been sloughed olf and discharged away from the saving device, by a grizzly or a screening apparatus, and that will concentrate and save out of the finer placer gravel and sands of the placerl ground, the gold, silver, platinum and other valuable metals so that they can be recovered in their pure individual native state, and in a condition that will enable them to be vrecovered and individually separated from each other.I Y Third: To provide a simple, inexpensive and practically o erating placer mining device by whi'ch eit er the wet, or water flowing system, or the dry ground system can be used to recover the gold and other metals therefromby simplya natural and regu- 40 lated and an adjustable flow of the placer vtop edgesby cross strips 4, that are prefground throughvit.

I attain these'objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Figure l is a plan of a portion of one vof the improved sluice boxes. 'V

Figure' 2 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view thereof on a slightly larger scale. Figure 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional view vof the same.

' Figure 4 is a plan view of a `sluice box similar to that shown in previous views, but provided with an amalgamating plate at its `receiving' end; the wire screen being Vbroken and automaticallycause a panning or vi `the means that sloughs oil' non-value carr away to give an unobstructed view ofsaid plate.

Figure 5 is a' vertical longitudinal sec- A tional view of theFig-ure 4.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views. My invention relies principally on the action of the screen member of the combination of gold saving elements that com 'rise my gold saving device; which While loo ing rigid, 'is nt'held rigidly and has the effect of and gives the same result as though it were vibrating. The` screen receives a trembling action on account of the forcible con'- tact of the coarse placer rocks and gravel that flow through its -long launder or sluice box and strike continuously against its cross wires, which provide a. cross riiiing eii'ectA brating action to be imparted to it, which 75 retards and slows down the gold and silver carrying drag material which seats the old and other valuable contents, and' provides ing. light and heavy sands as the smallroc s and -the coarse gravel rattle continuously against the cross wires throughout the whole length of the screen as the placer`- pulp flows through it.

Referring to the drawings: The Vnumeral 1 designates a rectangularshaped long narrow box which forms the outside casing portion of my gold and other metal saving and concentratmg device.

This casing consists of a bottom part 2 and opposite side arts 3; the top part of the box is preferab y left open, but it can be closed if desired by a cover, either throughout apart or the whole of its length.

The sides 3 are secured toget er at their erably dove-tailed into and nailed'to the 'top edges of the sides 3 at two or more places in the lengthof the sluice box, and the upperend 5 is closed for a part ofthe 100 height of the sluice box from-its bottom up, by a cross-piece 6, but the lower end 7 isy left open.' I can make these long boxesof-either metal. or wood or a'ny other suit able material. I preferably, however,make 105 them of wooden boards orplanks, and simply nail the sides to the bottom.

My combined gold saving and concentrat-l ing devices are used in overlapping end to en alignment, o r, 'if preferred, the second 110 l one can overlap the discharge end of the iirst gold savimg box and be placed to extend at a sidewise angle away from the direction the lirst one is positioned in, in order. that the second one will carry the tailings to one side of the rst one, and it may be placed vin any angular position and in any direction from it, which it is-desired to discharge the tailings in.

Upon the bottom of each sluice box I lay a piece of relatively thick coarse fabric having large interstices, such as a matting of coarsely twisted rope strand burlap, or the like, shown by numeral 8 on the draw- 111 I preferably lay this gold and other metal catching material down against and across the entire widthand throughout the entire length of each sluice box, preferably without fastening it to the bottom of the sluice box, although, if desired, it may be secured to the bottom of the sluice box in any easily freed and removable manner.

On top of this gold and other metal catching material, I lay a screen 9, which may be made of any suitable sheet metal,

i but it can be made of rubber or of any other hard material. I preferably, however, make it of wire, and as illustrated, it is about a three-eight-hs inchwire screen, and I prefer ably use from a one-eighth to about a threequarter inch mesh wire screen in all of my gold saving boxes, although a wire screen of finer or coarser mesh may be used if des ired. I have designated the cross wires of this screen 21A. This screen 9, fits loosely in between the opposite sides of the gold saving box, and extends throughout its length, and either one or two or three lengths of the wire screen may be placed end to end on the gold and other metal catching matting material if desired, instead of a single length of it.

The screen or -screens may be secured in place on top of the matting by any suitable means. I preferably, however, employ two strips of wood 10, one along each side of the box l, which I preferably make long enough to extend the whole length of the sluice box,

and I make them wide enough; to overlap the opposite side edges of the screen or screens 9, and I removably secure them to the inside surfaces of the sides of the sluice box, preferably by nails 11, which I drive through them into the sides of the sluice box. An amalgamating plate 24, provided Y with mercury containing cups 25, is sometimes substituted for a section of the matting at the raised end of the box.

In some instances, especially where the old is ver ne, known as flour gold, I d it pre erable to add riiles 9A placed edges 9C against which the flowing gravel strikes are beveled inwardly, and the rear tops are beveled downwardly as shown in 9D.

The operation of my device isas follows: A supply of gold, silver or other valuabll` metal bearing placer gravel and -sand, and a supply of running water` are dischargedl into the box, the larger rocks having previously been eliminated from the gravel. This mixture enters the upper end 5 of the box, which is adjustedat the angle desired by any -suitable means. Themixture of water and gravel then flows by gravity in a stream that isv thin enough to allow the particles to engage and contact with the cross-wires 21A of the mesh, which act as cross-ritlles, to stop or retard the ow long enough for the precious metal to settle down through the open mesh to the matting. The

mesh and settles inthe wide interstices of the matting where it is retained for later removal. I

It will be understood that the concentrat- I ing device may operate either at a set angle or may be vibrated by any suitable mechanism.

My invention is adapted to all kinds and characters of placer mining work, and for the recovery of gold that is now lost in the tailings of ore treating mills of all kinds,

and while I have illustrated and described the preferred construction and arrangement -metal is thus retained beneath the wire of my automatically operating` gold saving 1. A concentrating device, comprising as an essential part the combination of la box having a smooth bottom, a matting of coarsely twisted rope strand burlap, in firm contact with the said bottom and means on the matting forv checking the underflow of the water, sand and gravel carrying the values.

an essential part the combination of a box having a Hat bottom, a matting of a relativelythick and coarse fabric defining relatively large interstices, in firm contact with the bottom and means on the matting for checking theunderflow of the water, sand and gravel carrying the values.

. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FOREST n. eoonY. f

2. A concentrating device, comprising as 

